I Choose This
by phoenixfire3076
Summary: Hope y'all like it. Really bad at summaries. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N **_**This is my first King Arthur fanfic, so please be nice. Please Review. I'll take any ideas or suggestions. This story is pretty much starts out with this prologue and then jumps to roughly the movies time. **_  
_

_The girl combed her hair down to her waist. She had been told of her upcoming marriage. She had no desire to marry whom she was sent to. She knew that if she could just hold out long enough that she could make it. There were many tribes that would currently be happy to see her father dead._

_She put aside the wooden comb and slid her fingers along the wooden table she was seated at. She fingered the cool iron of the dagger. She had been given it as a small means of protection. She slowly pressed the blade to her ivory skin. She closed her eyes. Her lips were parted and her hair was combed and spread across her back. She felt her nerve strengthen as she heard noises outside. She once again lifted the blade and pressed it pale throat. _

_The wooden door suddenly splintered open. She dropped the dagger. Her father's guards were facing her and a single figure. He had risen from the ground and drawn his sword while she continued to stare in awe. She could see the guards advancing upon him. She stared at his armor; she had seen it before somewhere. She heard a familiar voice._

_"Enough. This is one of the Sarmatian Knights." She heard the guard's laugh._

_"He's just a boy. Can't be more than seventeen summers. " All the other guards started to laugh._

_"All the same, he is here to escort the princess to her betrothed lord. He is not to be harmed. Get him something to eat and drink. They'll be on their way by dawn." He still had his swords drawn. She saw them lower their swords. The knight kept his sword raised but slowly walked out of the entrance to her room. The men all bowed to her._

_"We are sorry for the interruption, princess." She nodded slowly. They all cleared. She knew that the door would have to be replaced immediately. She sighed thoughtfully. She glanced regretfully at the dagger. She ran her fingers along the blade. She would bring the weapon with her._

_"You are the one that has been sent to escort my daughter, the princess, to her betrothed lord?" Her father looked at the knight skeptically. The knight didn't say anything. She looked at him curiously. She was hiding by the door, and listening at a crack in it. The young mad had dark hair that was wildly braided. She could only see the back of him, but he appeared to be muscular as well as heavily armed. He didn't answer her father._

_"Well boy, are you going to answer me." She heard the foolish knight give a dry laugh._

_"Aye, I'm the one sent to escort your daughter." His voice was clipped and accented. _

_"I'm surprised that the would send you. They do not send a more experienced knight, or perhaps your commander, or even an emissary of my daughter's betrothed?" The knight shrugged his shoulders._

_"I go where my commander sends me. The older knight fight, they do what Rome beckons and attempt to subdue rebels." Her father seemed to accept this._

_"Very well. You are to leave with her at dawn. Do not disappoint me. Do not let harm come to her or her betrothed upon arrival." The knight shrugged his shoulders. He bit into an apple and turned to leave. She scrambled back to her room. Her traveling clothes and dowry and such had already been set and ready. She returned to the monotonous task of combing her hair._

_It was dawn when she was set to leave. A wooden cart had been attached to the knight's horse. Cushions and a shelter of cloth had been arranged for her and her belongings were tied in the back and underneath._

_"Go my daughter. Meet your betrothed. Respect this man. Watch this knight." He motioned to the braided man. She nodded. She carefully was situated in the cart and turned to stare as her home disappeared from her view.

* * *

_

_They had been traveling all day. They hadn't said anything. The boy had been busy making sure that they where on the right road and she could tell that escorting her to her future husband was not the task that he most desired to be given. It started to rain. He seemed completely oblivious to her existence and to the fact that she was getting soaked._

_"Knight. It is raining." He glanced around at her and narrowed his eyes._

_"I've noticed… Princess." She sighed. She knew that she certainly was covered like a princess. There was a blue shawl over her head and white veiling covering her face. She could feel the water starting to leak through the cloth canopy erected above her head._

_" 'Tis almost dark now and 'tis raining. We should stop." He glared at her, obviously not happy about her ordering her. He seemed about to refuse when he looked at her covered frame and fair hands. He then did the unspeakable. He started to laugh. She knew he couldn't see but she glared. She knew that he was aware of her body stiffening. He sighed and kept laughing._

_"We'll spend tonight by those trees." He didn't say anything more. They got settled and he made sure she had a slightly dry spot. He was about to offer to make her some food. She could tell that was what he would ask. She snapped at him._

_"I have things to eat." She pulled a bit of bread. She looked at him. He rolled his eyes and turned away while she lifted the veil over her head and started to nibble on the bread. She coughed._

_"Here. Take this." His voice was clipped and rough. In one fluid motion he handed her a flask. She took it from him. His back was still turned. She sniffed the opening. It smelled like water. She took sip gratefully. He rolled his eyes. She started to shiver. He sighed gruffly and through his cloak on her while she hastily secured her veil. She could sense his evident dislike of her._

_"So what makes a great Sarmatian knight escort me?" He snorted._

_"No choice of my own. I'm more of the scout. I was the most likely to not get lost. What brings an Irish princess to be betrothed to a Roman Lord?" His voice was filled with evident disgust. She felt a surge of anger. How dare he address her like this. She was… She was about to marry a Roman pig._

_"In life we make choices. You chose to scout?" He looked at her veiled form._

_"I was a scout before I became a knight. It chose me." She felt disgust creep into her voice. Her accent became a little stronger._

_"You choose to slaughter people. You choose to fight. You don't have to be enslaved." His breathing became ragged. In a flash there was a knife at her throat. She looked into his dark eyes. There was a myriad of emotions. Anger. Loss. Grief. Hatred. She kept very still. Maybe this foolish knight would save her the trouble of using her own dagger._

_"Don't presume to tell me about the life that I and my fellow brothers lead. I could kill you with one move and I would enjoy it." She didn't know why, but she pitied him._

_"That's one more choice that you make." He stared at her, pressing the knife closer to her._

_"Cloth-headed lady," he spat, "Did you chose on your betrothal to a Roman." She slowly raised her smooth hands from her sides. _

_"I didn't chose. I don't choose to love my enemy, though." He laughed when she said this. She slowly brought her hands to cup his face._

_"I'm not so different from you, knight. I want something that can't be had. You want something that can't be had. We aren't so very different." He jerked back from her hands as if he had been burned, but he lowered the knife. He pitied this princess. She was sold to Roman, which would probably like nothing more than to kill her._

_"How did an Irish princess end up betrothed to a Roman?" he asked again. She sighed this time._

_"My father feels that it will forge an alliance with the Romans." She laughed dryly. The knight laughed as well._

_"Then, princess, your king is a fool." She nodded._

_"How long have you been a slave to the Romans?" The young knight shrugged._

_"I was taken when I was thirteen. That was five years ago. " She peered at him._

_"Then you are eighteen summers?" Her voice sounded incredulous. He laughed and handed her a slice of an apple._

_"You sound awfully surprised." _

_"It's just, you are so young to be a knight. You seem very… very lost." His jaw tightened. _

_"I'm the one with the weapons, princess." She didn't say anything. They sat in silence. He stood. He motioned for her to sleep._

_"Get some sleep. We leave at dawn. I'm going to go scout the terrain." She stepped forward._

_"It is not wise for you to leave an Irish princess alone with so many rebels and enemies." He laughed bitterly._

_"I'm sure that your incessant speech could stop any attacker in his tracks." She glared. She didn't move. He stepped forward. He was about to say something when he stiffened. He could hear something in the trees. He slowly moved his hand towards his sword._

_"Don't move." She had noticed his slow movements and she had heard the whistling air. She could feel people watching them. The next thing she knew there was an arrow imbedded in the ground at her feet. The knight had whirled around. Figures dropped from the trees. She bent and grabbed her dagger from where she had strapped it to her leg. The next thing she knew there was a large hand clamped over her mouth. She saw the knight fighting his way towards her when she tightened her hold on the dagger and stabbed her captor._

_"Look out." It was too late; the knight's shoulder was pierced with an arrow. She pushed past the men he had wounded towards him. The rebels had all disappeared into the forest. She knew that they were probably one of the tribes of Celts that her father had greatly offended. Many tribes were rebelling over her betrothal to a Roman. One last man appeared with dark green swirls painted around his eyes. She brandished her knife. _

_"Leave or I'll kill you." She said in the Celtic tongue. The man stared at her and she lurched forward and pushed the knife into his leg. She ripped it out and threw it on the ground. He dragged himself into the trees as fast as he could. She rushed over to the knight, who was now trying to stand._

_"Don't stand. The arrow has gone through your shoulder." He looked at her through narrowed eyes._

_"I was aware of that Lady. Now if you would be so kind." He pushed her away and yanked the arrow out himself. She watched him intently, waiting for him to pale. He did almost instantly. She sighed. Her hands were shaking. She slit the hem of her dress and strapped it around his shoulder. He was barely conscious. She sighed._

_"Rest here." She had taken off his top layer of armor. She knew that they were to far from her home for her to try to go back and get help. She didn't want to go into the trees so she bent and crawled along the ground, searching for suitable twigs._

_He opened his eyes slowly. He could feel sweat dripping down his forehead. He felt in a daze. He could vaguely make out the glow of a fire and the form of a woman. He racked his brains, trying to remember who she was. Then it came to him, she was the Irish princess that he was bringing to the Roman. He tried to move and gasped as he felt an acute pain in his left shoulder._

_"Aren't you accustomed to being shot with arrows?" He looked at her weakly._

_"Yes but… it's poisoned," he said thickly. She nodded. He couldn't tell if her face was still covered. _

"Aye, it won't kill you though. Just rest." She walked towards him and wiped his forehead gently with a cloth that seemed to appear from nowhere.

_"Shh. Rest. It would have been better if you let me get die." She sighed and leaned forward. He closed his eyes._

_He was vaguely aware of the girl moving. He could see it out of the corner of his eye. She stumbled forward. She walked towards him. _

_"Don't even think of running away." She laughed._

_"Just tell them that I was killed in the skirmish if any ask, which I doubt." He made to grab her but she pulled back. He tried to stand when he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. She lifted her veil back. He stared at her. She had fair smooth skin with a dusting of freckles. Her eyes were a dark blue. Dark red tendrils cupped her face. She leaned forward and touched her hand to his forehead._

_"Be free, knight."  
_


	2. Chapter 2

Lancelot was walking to the tavern in a daze. He held his cup of wine in his hand. He couldn't actually fathom the fact that as of tonight him and his brothers would be free. He gave a flirtatious glance to some of the village women passing by.

_We will be free. I can return to Sarmatia, maybe see my family once more. Arthur… Well of course Arthur will return to Rome. _

He laughed as he approached the tavern and heard the familiar shout of Bors' voice. Evidently most of the other knights had already arrived at the tavern.

Galahad was in a similar state of shock. He smiled warmly at any man, woman or child that he passed.

_I can finally go home. I can finally stop the constant fighting and killing… and losing. Maybe I'll even meet a nice Sarmatian woman to marry. _

He was interrupted from his happy thoughts by a figure hurtling through the Fort. He didn't even get a chance to move as they crashed into him and kept running. He heard a shout.

"Bloody thief." Galahad approached an agitated looking Roman guard.

"What happened?" He tried to keep from smirking. _Serves the brute right._ One thing he knew he wouldn't miss about the fort was the constant company of the Roman Pigs.

"They stole from me." Galahad sighed and flagged on the soldier. He sighed. The pickpockets were usually inexperienced peasants that got caught immediately. The other pickpockets were the skilled ones that normally never got caught or could out run the Romans. He shrugged his shoulders as he walked to the tavern.

Arthur grimaced. After his confrontation with his knights and Lancelot he had a primitive urge to kill the Bishop. He knew that the chance of making it through this mission with all of his knights remaining alive weren't good. He sighed.

"Please God, get them through this. I don't care of what happens to me, but let my knights find their freedom and their happiness." He let out a long breath. A pair of dark eyes was watching him intently from the hay.

* * *

Galahad sat beside Gawain and all the other knights, minus Tristan and Dagonet, who had gone to prepare for the mission. Bors let out a drunken roar.

"And another thing. Those Roman bastards can't even send their own to look after their own. I have half a mind to kill the next Roman that comes near me." Galahad nodded.

"Who are they do deny our freedom. We've saved the stupid asses more than our duty requires." He slurred drunkenly. Gawain patted him on the back, while giving a flirtatious smile to a pretty tavern girl. Lancelot sighed. He seemed to be thinking about something.

"Well maybe the Bishop's assistant might meet with an unfortunate accident' Pity we can't bring a Saxon to let loose on the dear old Romans here." They all started to laugh.

"We better prepare. Galahad, don't do anything impulsive."

The knights say in the rain after riding hard.

"When I'm free I think I'll stay here. Vanora wants to get married and give the children all names." Bors made a face. Tristan gave a flicker of laughter.

"Women. I thought the children all had names." Bors shrugged.

"Nah, just Gilly. Got to hard to remember so we just gave them all numbers. Number three's a nice one, good fighter."

"That's because he's mine. Funny, Bors I didn't know you could count." All the knights started to laugh as Bors lurched towards Lancelot. Dagonet smiled. Gawain started to laugh.

"Oh Lancelot, don't worry. Vanora's not the only woman to refuse you." Lancelot stared in shock.

"I don't know what you're talking about. No woman can resist my charms." Dagonet laughed.

"I'm sure women have refuse our Lance here, but what woman are you talking about in particular?" Gawain looked to Galahad, who looked to Tristan, who looked at his knife. Arthur started to chuckle.

_The knights were sitting in the tavern. They had been particularly drunk that time and all the knights were there. Tristan had even consumed a little more alcohol than was good for him. He had been in the middle of one of his famous knife throwing contests with Gawain. He had just landed it in the middle._

"_Tristran," Gawain slurred, "How do you do that?" Tristan staggered back and looked at his handiwork. His knife tip was imbedded in the center of Gawain's handle. He shrugged, obviously at a loss._

"_I aim for the middle." Gawain glared for about thirty seconds before starting to laugh. All the others started to laugh. They stared as figure dropped behind Galahad and crawled under the bench. _

_"Look, This is our bench. You aren't supposed to be hiding underneath it." Bors' said loudly. He stood up suddenly and dropped his jug of ale, letting out a large crash. The person under the bench didn't even flinch. Lancelot was about to look under the bench when two Roman soldiers marched over and reached under the bench, dragging out a figure in a ragged cloak. They started to shake the person. The knights immediately stood, while Galahad fumbled for his sword._

_"Now see here, you can't do that." The soldiers stopped._

_"What's it to you, this person stole a silver and gold piece from me." For some reason Galahad took pity on the person. He could see a pair of thin hands clenched into two fists._

_"That's impossible, they've been with us the whole time." He glanced at the knights, who sighed and nodded in agreement. _

_"And why was it that they were under there?" Lancelot shrugged._

_"Surely even you can't deny us our drunken pleasure with the tavern girls." The soldiers glared and started to walk away._

_"Fine, but if they come near me or any other soldier I'll kill them." The knights shrugged and sat down while the figure slowly rubbed pale hands over their neck. They turned to walk away._

_"Oh come now, surely we get a thanks or at least a glimpse of your face?" Gawain joked. The figure turned to look at them. It was a she. She had just removed her hood and looked at them. She didn't say anything. The men stared._

_ She had large dark gray eyes and a pert nose dusted with pale freckles. Her hair was fair, a pale blonde colorand hung in waves, tendrils curled around her face. She was very beautiful. There was a little dirt along her temples. She looked at them and turned to leave._

_"Oh wait just a minute love. Aren't you going to thank me properly for saving your life." She glared at him. A tendril fell into her eyes; she didn't bother to brush it back. _

_"Thank you." She turned once more._

_"Do you know I don't think she knows who you are, Lance." The girl started to laugh._

_"I know of knights of the round table. I know of the silent pillar, Sir Dagonet. The loud bear, Sir Bors. The longhaired, Sir Gawain. The boyish, Sir Galahad," She turned to look at Tristan she paused for a moment and tilted her head. "The deadly Scout, Sir Tristan. The noble commander, Arturius and the man who always has a full bed, Sir Lancelot." They started to laugh._

_"I hope that's not all that you've hold about us, Lady." She looked at Arthur in surprise._

_"I'm not a lady, sire. Someday you will be more than a knight. Rome will be gone, but you will be here." She turned to leave. Lancelot had been quite drunk._

_"Not even a kiss to thank me for my efforts. I'm sure you'll like it." In a flash she had moved and was sitting on his laps. She had twined a dark curl around her finger. Her Irish accent was now prominent, as she spoke in a whisper._

_"Thank you, Sir Lancelot. Thank you very much." She slapped along the top of his head. In an instant she was out of the tavern. All the knights had started laughing at Lancelot, who still appeared quite shell-shocked._

The knights looked at Lancelot and shook their heads.

"Well I believe that she resisted you." Laughed Dagonet. Lancelot shrugged.

"I didn't realize until the next morning that the wench took all my money." Dagonet laughed.

"She was skillful. When she was under the bench she took my coins as well as Galahad's and Bors." Said Gawain. They all laughed. Dagonet, who hadn't been there that night, raised an eyebrow.

"How is it that Tristan and Arthur are the only ones she didn't steal from?" Arthur shrugged and Tristan just smirked. Lancelot sighed and shook his head.

"I hate it when you do that. I'd hit you-" Tristan smirked again.

"But then I'd kill you." Lancelot nodded, defeated. Galahad laughed. The knights' shrugged. Lancelot looked thoughtful. Arthur watched as his men continued to sit around the fire. Tristan went off to scout ahead and the other knights were sleeping. Arthur sighed.

_I can't let anything happen to them. If the bishop denies them their freedom, I'll kill him._

They spilled onto Marius' estate after having made it through the Woad forest. Arthur caught sight of a villager chained in the center of the green. After a brief dialogue with the man, Ganis he drew his sword.

"Listen to me, all of you. This Marius is not a man of god. All of you were born free from your first breath. Somebody help this man." He walked away. He looked to a small hut where there were stones. Tristan road in.

"They come from the South trying to cut off our escape. They will be here before nightfall."

"The only way out is south?"

"No, East, it means crossing through mountains, but that's the path we must take. What is it," He followed his commander's gaze to the hut, "We have no time." Arthur didn't listen.

"Dagonet." Dagonet dismounted from his horse and drew his ax. He began to hack at the stone until it crumbled to reveal a door. He kicked it until it splintered and gave way to a spiral stone staircase.

**A/N Sorry, I know that this chapter was really bad. I have exams going on, so I'm a little distracted. Okay, so now there is another female mentioned... Anyway please read and REVIEW! I will take suggestions, praise, criticism. Thanks so much!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Okay, sorry if I was a little unclear about the story. Both chapters go together. They're first chapter is more of a prologue. Thank you for your awesome review. Sorry it's been so long since my last update, I developed a writer's block for this particular story. I'm still a bit blocked so I'm willing to hear any criticisms, praises and suggestions. PLEASE REVIEW!**

They climbed down the stairs. The knights stared in shock at the rotting corpses and torture devices.

"The work of your god?" Lancelot said in disgust. Arthur heard Lancelot call his name as he pulled a little boy out of a small cage with a grated opening.

"You must not fear me, child. I will not hurt you." The child looked up at Dagonet with large and frightened eyes. He had matted blond hair and a broken arm. He stared at the scar running threw the corner of Dagonet's eye.

Arthur and Lancelot approached a small cell. There was a woman with dark hair and a dazed expression. Arthur handed Lancelot his torch and drew his sword to slice the chains. Lancelot turned and left. His entire body was shaking. He could barely suppress the fury that was flowing through him. Arthur came up from the torture chamber clutching the girl. He deposited her on the ground beside the boy that Dag had found.

"Water, get me some water." Arthur supported the thin woman gently and held water to her mouth. She gagged on it. Tristan peered at her tattooed legs. Her entire body was shivering uncontrollably.

"She's a woad." Lancelot groaned. This was just what they needed. Another setback.

Arthur had reset her fingers. She had talked to him. Well she had done what resembled talking. It had ended up in a spirited debate. She sighed. She looked at a curly black haired man. He had ridden towards her. She started to discuss heaven with him. It had been something that she would often discuss with… Well she had heard the words many times.

"Where do you come from that compares? The black sea? This is heaven for me." He looked at her and gave a laugh.

"I don't believe in heaven. I've lived too long in this hell, but if you represent what heaven is, please take me there." She laughed. He gave her a flirtatious look. She knew that was the place he served in the group. The braided man, he was the deadly one. The Roman that had set her fingers, he was the commander. She had seen the guilt in his eyes when he'd fixed her hands.

" We all live in hell but sometimes we can turn it into our own heaven. Why is it that you choose to hare this place. This is where you live isn't it?" He frowned.

"Don't talk to someone that lives in servitude to Rome about living." She gave him a smirk.

"Why do you continue your servitude if not to live. There is nothing more terrible or beautiful than this thing we call life." He gave her an appraising look. She closed her eyes as he galloped away. She sighed. These knights were going to be difficult to sway. Merlin had warned her that before her capture.

They had made camp. Lancelot was sting with the men, eating some bread. He sighed.

"Arthur, what is it that you're doing?" They all stared at their commander. He was pacing by the woods. He shook his head and turned away.

"Merlin, he let us go in the woods. He has plans for us. I want to know what they are." He looked thoughtful. Lancelot raised his hands and jumped a foot when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Kill 'em, that'll solve the problem." Lancelot sighed when he saw it was Tristan.

"You really need stop- all right, don't flash the knife. It was just a suggestion." He sighed as Tristan mounted his horse and went off to go scouting. Lancelot clapped Arthur on the back.

"What he said. Anything getting in between Galahad and home should fear his sword." Arthur chuckled as Lancelot when off to find a nice tree to sleep by. He stopped when he saw the woad. She was bathing. He didn't know why but his eyes were drawn to her figure. She glanced up and caught him staring. He glanced down shamefully and disappeared into the trees. Her words kept on spinning threw his head.

_Nothing more terrible or beautiful than this thing called life._ There was something mesmerizing about that. He heard twigs snapping and glanced up.

"Hushhhhh." He almost imagined the faint whisper in the trees. He saw the woad, her hair had been clipped back and she was wearing a long cloak. She had started walking into the deep woods. Arthur was following her. He sighed. Well, that settled the matter of that one.

Tristan had taken a path through the woods and looped around when he was scouting. He stopped when he heard voices. He slowly dismounted his horse.

"Shh, stay here." He drew his sword and slowly walked into the forest. He could make out the form of his commander and the woad girl as well as another woad. He could have sworn he recognized him. He was proved correct when he heard the woad man addressed as 'Merlin."

"This sword was forged form the fires of this Earth. It is love Arthur. Love. We need your help against the Saxons. Your mother was of this land." Tristan was about to turn and leave when he caught sight of something. He raised his sword and was about to edge closer into the forest when he felt a blade at his neck. He didn't move. He couldn't see a figure in the dark. H

e could feel breath on the back of his neck. He went to twist away, but the cold blade was pressed tighter against his neck. He had expected to hear a threat or to be abused but nothing happened. He suddenly grabbed the blade and twisted it, flinging it into a nearby tree. He glanced around but he could see no one.

The forest was empty. Apparently Merlin had left and Arthur and the woad had returned to the camp. He slowly slipped out of the forest with his sword drawn. He listened for any sound at all. He slowly mounted his horse.

"You seen anyone, girl?" He sighed as he urged the horse into a trot. He returned to scouting. One thing was certain, there had been someone else in the forest.

A/N sorry for the awful chapter. I know that whole little thing wasn't very Tristan like, but I wanted there to be the air of mystery. PLEASE REVIEW!


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